Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Slainte Irish Pub and Restaurant located in Historic Fells Point has made some changes- new chef and new menu. You may have heard of the talented Chef Bill Crouse, formally of Sotto Sopra, is making delightful changes to the menu and moving towards gastropub at Slainte.

I had the opportunity to sit down with the owners and chef of Slainte and sample some of the new menu items that sent me home dreaming of more!

Before your meal comes check out some of the new appetizers that will tantalize your taste buds:

Ploughman's Platter ($14) withsmoked fish, cheeses, charcuterie, homemade relish and spread served with toast points. Not only is the plating and presentation appealing to your eyes, but also so are the flavors of each item. Two of my favorite items from the platter were the artichokes with olives and blue cheese with apple slices.

Mushroom Gnudi ($9) - mushroom gnocchi fried to a golden crisp and served with brown butter and sage. They don’t look like your traditional gnocchi but remind me of a risotto. The mushroom flavor isn’t overpowering and the brown butter and sage adds to the flavor sensations.

Spiced Cornflour Calamari ($9) with a smoked pepper aioli. The calamari was perfectly cooked and not chewy. The crispy beet chips added the eye appeal but had a wonderful flavor themselves.Sauteed Mussels ($9) -P.E.I mussels with tomatoes, basil and garlic in a white wine butter. The sauce is perfect for soaking up with toast points and the not one grain of grit was found in any of the mussels I sampled. The aroma itself will leave you drooling.